The congregation was founded in the English community of Scrooby in 1606 by the Pilgrims, a group of Protestant Christians.

[2] Originally, the congregation held Christian services on the Mayflower and then at a fort on Burial Hill from 1621 until 1648.

The fort was also used for other colony events including meetings of the Plymouth General Court.

Hartwell, Richardson & Driver designed the current Romanesque-style building, completed 1899, which replaced the 1831 wooden Gothic structure.

The sanctuary features carved quarter-sawn oak and is one of the finest examples of hammer beam construction in the United States.